


Robert And Carly At The Village Play Area

by theprincessed



Series: Village Talk [10]
Category: Emmerdale
Genre: Conversations, F/M, Family Fluff, Future Fic, Gen, M/M, Male-Female Friendship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-09-15
Updated: 2016-09-15
Packaged: 2018-08-15 05:55:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,553
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8044912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/theprincessed/pseuds/theprincessed
Summary: It’s April’s 8th birthday and the Dingles want to celebrate. With Dingle partners each, Robert and Carly bond.





	Robert And Carly At The Village Play Area

**Author's Note:**

> I'm back with another one of these! :) This turned out differently to what I expected but, as usual with this series, I just let my mind wander and I like.
> 
> Hope you do too x

Robert is on the way back from a supplies run to David's when he spots Carly, April and Leo at the play area. Apparently, its been renamed since he was last in the village and is something which Chas always gets misty-eyed about, so he knows not to push the subject. Ordinarily, he would also walk quickly past this place but something makes him stop at the same time that Carly glances his way.

“Alright?” she calls politely.

Robert can tell she's as confused as he is about his presence and finds himself lifting his shopping bag with a half-smile. “Supplies for this afternoon.”

“Ah,” she nods, “the big zero-eight. April's been off the wall all morning,”

He looks to the two children running around without a care in the world and thinks about Liv back at the pub, permanently glued to her phone now that her and Gabby have made up after their latest tiff and roped into preparing for April's birthday party later that day. Robert took the easiest route out, offering to get whatever last minute food ingredients were needed and leaving Aaron helping Chas with barrels and decorating. Maybe one day he and Aaron can occupy their kid (kids?) as everyone else zooms about like stressed headless chickens...

He blinks out his thoughts with such a start that he's walking towards Carly sat on one of the benches before he's consciously made the decision to do it, anything to shake the revelation that he sees soppy commitments like _children_ in his and Aaron's shared future.

“And Leo?” he asks, raising an eyebrow and sitting next to Carly. “What's his excuse? Just tiring him out?”

“Oh, absolutely!” she grins, “Anything to get ahead of the game. It doesn't matter if they fall asleep on me later, as long as there's been presents and cake, they're happy.” She turns to look at Robert properly, a sly tilt to her mouth. “Maybe you should take notes, for future reference.”

“What?” he scoffs, unsettled, “No, no, I've got enough on my plate, thanks. And Liv, of course,” he jokes feebly.

Carly presses her lips together and nudges his shoulder with hers but says nothing else on the matter. Busted. “Yeah, those Dingles are...something else,” she breathes, but Robert can see how her face relaxes dreamily.

He might not understand the attraction to Marlon specifically, but he'd be a hypocrite if he didn't admit that she has a point. “Definitely takes a bit of getting used to. Y'know, the closing of the ranks, the family court. Yorkshire's answer to the Mafia.”

Carly snorts a laugh and Robert smiles, feeling like they're brewing a connection. He studies her profile, how her darkened hair now offsets her blue eyes. Had he not fallen in love with Aaron and had Carly been single, well...who knows.

“D'ya think we'll ever...” she trails off, gaze fixed on April pushing Leo around the roundabout, feet like a tiny herd of stampeding elephants and their combined laughter echoing back towards the two adults. _D'ya think we'll ever fit in?_

Robert waits for her to look at him again, pausing for dramatic effect. “Nah!” he says at the same time as Carly crows “Fat chance!”

“As long as I've got Aaron and Liv, I don't care,” he sighs. “If they have _Aaron's_ back, that's good enough for me. And besides, maybe we can stick together?”

He says it smoothly with all the charm he normally and naturally possesses, but his hand holding the bag between his legs has secretly gone tight around the handles. He's never been the best at relationships that aren't about sex, love or business. Aaron's his friend nowadays, although the idea of maintaining something wholly platonic still kind of scares him. It asks for all of him with none of the fun, sexy distractions he's used to.

Carly's eyebrows rise into her hairline and he's ready to manipulate the situation to save his blushes (old habits die hard and can come in handy) when she gives him a simple nod and a smile. Just like that. It feels as easy as breathing except it's cut short when April runs over to them. She's as sharp as a tack and everyone knows it. She looks at Robert then at the bag by his feet.

“Is that for me?”

“April!” Carly chastises, although can't hide her laugh.

“It is. It's a surprise and,” Robert checks his watch, deciding that he probably can't put off going back into the lion's den anymore, “your dad's probably not gonna be happy with me if I'm late, so...”

“It's okay. Carly can say you were with us,” she says sweetly, matter-of-fact.

He'd rather she didn't, lest it make Aaron start asking questions why he's suddenly hanging out with her and some kids before he's had the chance to explain that he might've just made a new ally in amongst the edges of the Dingle circle.

“Good to know.” He stands up, gathering the bag and feeling strangely like he achieved something more than go down the road for snacks that Marlon will probably end up shoving at the adults because they're 'not good enough' for his little girl on her special day. “I'll see you later then, yeah, at the pub for your party?”

“We'll be there with bells on, won't we?” Carly says, smoothing her hand over April's hair.

She nods before truly considering. “We won't bring real bells though. I don't think Leo'd like them very much. But we will be there 'cause it's my birthday. I'm eight.”

“And you've been telling anyone who'd listen!”

Carly suddenly tickles her side and she erupts into squirms and giggles. Robert takes that as his cue to leave, glad when the pub returns to being just his home, although hopefully not for much longer if a new place he and Aaron viewed a couple of days ago properly checks out. Then April can have all the noisy parties at the Woolpack that she wants.

Later, he steps through the doorway with a pint each for him and Aaron and an extra drink for Carly. Her genuine thanks shines through her eyes.

Much later and when the kids are suitably stuffed with cake and sprawled asleep on the backroom sofa to allow the adults some free time in the bar, Carly stops filling Robert in on the latest gossip between constantly fighting Vanessa and Tracy to give him a merry smile. Aaron stands at the other side of him, talking to Adam and paying them no attention. Robert likes that they can be near each other and not have to speak.

“I have a confession to make,” she mumbles, pointing at him. “Before Marlon, obviously, I used to think you were quite fit.” she sighs, practically swooning and already distracted. “Marlon's great, in't he?”

Robert laughs and nudges her with his shoulder like she did to him on the park bench, only this time she wobbles on her feet. She's not even wearing heels. “Well, I've got two eyes and I'm not blind, so if you won't tell, I won't.”

She frowns. “Are ya tellin' me you fancy Marlon?”

“What?” he exclaims then, remembering that she's his girlfriend, he clears his throat. “I mean, not that – no, of course I - I was talking about - oh, never mind! Your secret's safe with me. That's what friends are for.”

“Mmm, yeah, s'true,” she mumbles, curling her arm through his and resting her head on his shoulder.

“Hey, looks like you've got your hands full there, mate!” Adam laughs raucously.

Robert watches Aaron look between him and Carly then roll his eyes. At that moment, Marlon comes into the bar from checking on April and Leo and his dark eyes go wide.

“Er , excuse me, do you mind?!”

At the sound of his voice, Carly awakens from her stupor. “Aw babe, shhh! Robert's my new – my new – what's the word again?”

“Enemy?” Adam quips, earning a glare from Robert and an unimpressed look from Aaron.

“Chair?” Robert jokes himself.

“Nooooo!” she sings, flapping her hand.

Seeing the real issue at hand, Marlon puts his hands on his hips and sighs but his posture is a lot less tense and defensive. Robert would be hurt if he didn't know that Marlon worries about everything, including who his girlfriend is fraternising with. Sweet really.

“Friend?” he answers with raised eyebrows, surprised.

She clicks her fingers at him. “Yes! New friend. Robert's my new friend. He buys me drinks. Good friend.”

Robert looks at Marlon, smirks. “Might be time for you to be a good boyfriend and get this one home?”

“Huh? Oh! Yeah, yeah, actually that's a good idea.”

He comes around the bar and puts his arm around Carly's waist to quite literally take her off Robert's hands. Once they've hobbled away with a promise that Marlon will be back for his kids, Robert leans onto the bar and takes a long happy drink of his pint. Eventually, he's aware of Adam and Aaron staring at him, as if they've only just realised that he and Carly spent a good hour in each other's company and that that hasn't really happened before.

“I like her.” he grins.

He thinks he could probably get used to making friends again.

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading, lovelies x
> 
> I'm on tumblr at [theprincessed](http://www.theprincessed.tumblr.com). Come chat to me. :)


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